Last updated by Ardmore Plumbers
Glen Ellyn's big oaks and maples are a large part of its appeal, and they are also why its sewer lines keep plumbers busy. Ardmore Plumbers answers (858) 363-8298 24/7 and sends licensed plumbers to Glen Ellyn homes, from the older houses around Lake Ellyn and downtown to newer construction across the rest of the village.
Glen Ellyn is about 12 to 18 minutes west of Villa Park. Plumbers usually come out St. Charles Rd past Churchill Woods, or along Roosevelt Rd for the south side of town, and every job is priced on site before work starts.
Plumbing in Glen Ellyn homes: roots, old pipe and hills
Glen Ellyn incorporated in 1892 as a railroad suburb, and its oldest neighborhoods sit on hilly, heavily wooded lots. Trees that old have had decades to find the joints in clay tile sewer laterals, so root intrusion is the standard sewer call here. Inside the houses, it is common to find galvanized supply lines, cast iron drain stacks and a century of repairs in mixed materials.
Because home values are high and many owners plan to stay, Glen Ellyn jobs lean toward fixing the cause: a sewer camera inspection, then lining or replacing a failing lateral, or a planned repipe instead of patching the same leak twice.
| Option | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Rodding | Roots in an otherwise sound pipe | Clears the line, but roots grow back |
| Spot repair | One broken or offset joint | Needs a dig at that one spot |
| Lining | Cracked but intact pipe along the run | Little digging; the pipe must be sound enough to line |
| Replacement | Collapsed, sagging or badly offset pipe | Most excavation, new pipe end to end |
If the street sewer has also backed up into your basement, ask the Village of Glen Ellyn whether it currently offers cost-sharing on overhead sewers or backflow valves before you pick a fix. The village has offered it before, but programs and terms change, so check with the village first. At the time of writing, the village's sewer cost-share page lists an overhead sewer program that also funds backflow prevention valves: half the cost or $5,000, whichever is less, once per address. It needs an approved grant application, a plumbing permit and a final inspection, and sump pumps, downspouts and drain tiles must come off the sanitary sewer first. Check current terms before signing anything.
Your sewer line runs all the way to the main
Glen Ellyn makes the owner responsible for the whole sanitary service line, from the house to the connection at the village main, including the stretch under the parkway and the street. The village treats root removal as maintenance and does not reimburse it anywhere along that line. That is why the camera matters here: roots working into sound joints call for rodding on a schedule, while a cracked or collapsed section is a repair, and a repair near the street may qualify for village cost-sharing.
Glen Ellyn neighborhoods and landmarks we serve
We cover the full 60137 zip: the historic blocks around Lake Ellyn, downtown along Main St and Crescent Blvd, the homes near the Illinois Prairie Path, the east side along the East Branch DuPage River and Churchill Woods, and the neighborhoods near College of DuPage and Roosevelt Rd. The hills matter too: a house set below the street is more exposed to a main line backup than one on a rise.
A typical call from Glen Ellyn
The basement floor drain in a house shaded by an old maple backs up for the third time in two years, each time after being rodded clean. The plumber rods it again to restore flow, then sends a camera down the clay lateral. The footage shows roots at several joints and a crack under the parkway. With the video in hand, the homeowner can weigh lining against replacement instead of booking another rodding next spring.
If the drain is backing up right now, start with our basement sewer backup steps.
Glen Ellyn asks for a call to the village first
When sewage comes up a basement drain, the village wants residents to phone Public Works before a plumber, so staff can see whether the village main is at fault. After hours and on weekends those calls go through the police non-emergency line; check the village site for current numbers. If the main is running freely, the blockage is in your own service line, and that is the time to call (858) 363-8298.
Plumbing services we send to Glen Ellyn
- Sewer Line Repair in Glen EllynCamera inspections, spot repairs, trenchless lining and full lateral replacement for Glen Ellyn clay tile sewers that roots have cracked or shifted. You see the video and hear every option before choosing.
- Drain Cleaning in Glen EllynRodding and hydro jetting for Glen Ellyn main lines packed with roots from mature parkway trees, plus kitchen and bath clogs in older homes with cast iron and galvanized drains.
- Plumbing Repair in Glen EllynLeak repairs, fixture work and planned repipes in Glen Ellyn's historic homes, where the plumber works through basements, closets and small access openings to protect original plaster and trim. Before cutting plaster, the plumber traces the leak from the floor or ceiling below so the wall is opened once, in the right place.
Our Glen Ellyn service area
We cover all of Glen Ellyn (60137), about 12 to 18 minutes from our base in Villa Park. The map shows the village boundaries we serve; there is no storefront to visit, the plumber comes to you.
Nearby areas we serve
Glen Ellyn plumbing FAQ
Can tree roots really block a sewer line?
Yes, and in Glen Ellyn it is the most common cause of a main line backup. Roots rarely break sound pipe. They find the small gaps at clay tile joints, grow toward the water inside and form a mat that catches paper and grease. Rodding cuts them out, but they grow back from the same joints. Lining or replacing the damaged section is what ends the cycle.
Can old pipes in a historic Glen Ellyn home be replaced without tearing out plaster?
Mostly, yes. The plumber can often route new supply lines, usually PEX or copper, up from the basement through closets, chases and existing wall cavities, cutting a few small access openings rather than opening whole walls. Some patching is almost always needed, and the route depends on how the house was framed. Ask for a walkthrough first. Every plumber we send is licensed and insured in Illinois; see plumbing repair and repiping.
How fast can a plumber reach Glen Ellyn?
Glen Ellyn is about 12 to 18 minutes from Villa Park, depending on which side of the village you are on and whether the plumber takes St. Charles Rd or Roosevelt Rd. We answer 24/7 and send the nearest available plumber, but we do not quote a fixed arrival time. On storm nights, when backups hit many homes at once, waits across DuPage County run longer.
My Glen Ellyn house sits lower than the street. Is it more likely to back up?
Often, yes. In a hard storm the sanitary sewer can surcharge, and sewage climbs toward the lowest drain tied to it by gravity, usually the basement floor drain. The village itself notes that small elevation differences decide which homes take backups. Houses built after about 1970 generally have overhead sewers because codes began requiring them; older ones usually drain by gravity. For a pre-1970 house set below grade, an overhead sewer or backflow valve is the lasting fix.
Will Glen Ellyn share the cost if my sewer line breaks under the street?
It can. Under its sanitary sewer cost-share program, the village pays half of a service line repair that falls under the street or within ten feet of the curb or pavement edge, and restores that pavement and parkway itself. Public Works must review a locate and camera video and approve the plan before you choose a contractor. Locating, televising and rodding stay at your cost. Check current terms on the village's cost-share page.
Call a plumber to your Glen Ellyn home
Ardmore Plumbers
Serving Villa Park, IL 60181 and nearby areas, including Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Call (858) 363-8298